Out of the closet

From an early age, Hina Karani knew that she had to get into fashion. As a child, she says, she would spend time experimenting with cuts and styles, and as she grew up, she merged her creative instincts with her entrepreneurial abilities to set up a swish fashion store. This stylista’s closet of fashion secrets is something that every woman would love to swear by! We chat with the enterprising owner of Vidi’s Closet...

Can you tell us a little about your formative years?
I was born and raised in Dubai and did my schooling here as well. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother who was the supervisor of our school. I looked up to her and was always inspired by her creative ideas. My graduation years were spent in Mumbai where I pursued commerce and got a degree in fashion designing. I got married after my graduation and have two lovely kids.

Did you always want to work in the line of fashion?
As a child, I loved dressing up. I was deeply interested in art, painting and embroidery. I wanted to use my creativity and combine it with my flair for fashion; I would often create patterns and sketch them. Even as a kid I would try not to repeat dresses! This was the only area that interested me! So yes, fashion was always on my mind.

How did you decide the décor of Vidi’s Closet?
I wanted the store to reflect my idea of fashion – being trendy and elegant. So the décor and the look were designed keeping this sensibility in mind. Moreover we are catering to people who know and love their fashion. My daughter is also interested in fashion and loves to dress up. She is my biggest critic; hence we came up with the name, Vidi’s Closet.  

What challenges did you face while setting up the store?
It was not too difficult as my husband was very supportive. He helped me throughout the process of planning and setting up the store, especially during meetings with the interior designers. We also faced some problems getting the right staff and training them as per our requirements.

Can you tell us more about the designers and type of clothes you stock?
We create our own designs keeping in mind the latest trends and also customise ensembles according to our clients’ tastes. Our main objective is to make a woman look and feel good. And the key to that is to choose the right cuts and styles that flatter your figure.

There are a lot of ethnic stores in Dubai, what makes Vidi’s Closet stand out?
We have more Indo-Western outfits, offering the latest trends in ethnic wear. Moreover, we only use pure fabrics such as georgettes, chiffons, crepes etc. We also have delicately embroidered silk chiffon gowns and beautiful prints that are so popular among women these days. We believe every customer is important and deserve the best possible service.

Do you love shopping and visiting malls?
Of course! I like visiting malls to check on the current hot trends. And I love buying accessories – bags, belts, shoes etc. I usually team up with my daughter and we hang out for hours at the malls.

Do you have any plans to expand in the near future?
Our hands are full now but we are definitely looking to expand.

Do you hold any exhibitions in other parts of the world?
As we cater to the local population in the UAE, we have not ventured outside so far. We do take part in local exhibitions like The Bride Show and Shimmer. These events help us stay in touch with our existing customers and showcase our new designs.

How would you describe your fashion philosophy?
I always like to keep my designs real. Style, I believe, is all about how you carry yourself. I like to create designs that are trendy and elegant. So I am partial to nice prints and solid colours like blue and pink. To me fashion is fun and it comes from within. My biggest turn off is people who do not dress according to their age. You must be careful of what you wear; just because something is in vogue doesn’t mean it suits women of all age groups and sizes!

Describe a typical day in your life.
I start off in the morning by hitting the gym and on days when I feel lazy, my hubby and I take our dog for a walk after dropping the kids to school. We have our breakfast and leave together for work. Evenings are usually spent catching up with friends over dinner or just chilling at a lounge or watching a movie. We like to spend time with the kids when they have holidays as they are busy the whole week with studies and sports.

What are your favourite holiday destinations?
My husband and I love to travel and have visited the most exotic destinations in the world. We normally take two vacations in a year with the kids and at times, team up with our couple friends with children of the same age. So it becomes one big party for all of us! Our favourite holiday destination is Melbourne in Australia. We drove down the great Ocean Road which was a lovely experience. Actually, any place with family and good company is fun to visit!

What do you like to do to unwind and relax?
I like to read, meet a few close friends and chill and lastly, unwind at a spa for a massage.